ANAKTUVUK PASS 75 



A female bird examined on May 24, 1951, contained eggs 10 mm. 

 long and one on May 28 had eggs 12 mm. long. Nests were found June 

 12 and June 18 with respectively fresh and incubated eggs. On June 

 26 a single downy female weighed 9.1 grams and was just able to walk 

 slowly with an adult female in close attendance. Near Itikmalikpuk 

 Creek on June 27 we found 4 small downy young huddled in a nest, 

 still unable to stand. Their weights were 1 male, 4.3 grams; 3 fe- 

 males, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 grams. At this date semipalmated sandpipers were 

 feeding among the small waves on the sandy lea shore of one of the 

 small Pitaich lakes. About a dozen were associated but not formed 

 as a flock. From that time on, they are seen in larger nimibers feed- 

 ing along the sandy beaches of the windward shores of the lakes if the 

 waves are small. Their association in these meeting places becomes 

 closer as the young birds grow up, and they become more concentrated 

 along lake and river shores than in their earlier wide distribution 

 among tundra pools and streams. 



The Nunamiut call all small sandpipers Liva liva^ but this name 

 really designates the song of the semipalmated and least sandpipers. 

 These two are called Liva livakpaurak by the Nunamiut meaning 

 "larger Liva Iwa" and Liva livaurah meaning "smaller Liva livaP 

 At first view these and Baird's sandpipers are not readily distin- 

 guished, but upon careful observation one sees that they look, walk, 

 fly, and sing so differently that it is not surprising that many, but 

 not all, Nunamiut adults and children name each with specific pre- 

 cision. The arrival of Liva liva is a welcome event in spring and 

 people may stand alone or in groups to search with delighted interest 

 to locate the obscure source of the sweet liva liva song in the small 

 birds flying high overhead. 



Tryngites subruficollis (Vieillot) 



4 males May 29-June 3 weight (4), 64.2- 



80.5, average 71 



g. 

 6 females May 29-June 5 weight (6), 50-58, 



average 53 g 



Buff-breasted sandpipers are often seen in spring migration. The 

 earliest observations recorded are May 24, 1949, and May 31, 1950, 

 and the brief but fairly numerous flight is soon over. Probably for 

 this reason it is not always observed. 



They were well known on the arctic coast to the Nunamiut as 

 Aklaktak, meaning "spotted," but they are not known to remain in 

 the mountains. 



